Endurance Training
by beege
Summary: The REAL reason Ranma can never dodge Akane's mallet.


Endurance Training

Monday:

"You stupid, slow, uncute tomboy!  I wish I'd never met you!"

Ranma danced around Akane as she swung at him madly, waiting for just the right moment.  There it was!

"RANMA YOU IDIOT!" Akane screamed.  With an ear-splitting roar of fury she manifested her chi-mallet and smashed Ranma across the jaw, sending him soaring up into the atmosphere.  Nabiki, who'd been watching from the porch, shook her head and sighed.  Ranma was never going to learn to keep his mouth shut and somehow Akane was always able to hit him when she was _really_ angry.

Hundreds of feet above Ranma was grinning to himself with joy.

Tuesday:

"That was the worst meal you've ever cooked!" Ranma exclaimed, "and that's saying something!"

"I hate you, you jerk!" Akane yelled.

"Yeah well, rice isn't supposed to melt through the bowl, is it?" Ranma jeered.

"RANMA YOU IDIOT!" Akane shrieked.  Once again she manifested her chi-mallet.  Ranma jumped up and ran for the front door, but Akane nailed him just as he passed into the front yard.  The mallet connected solidly with his back and sent him flying up into the sky.  Behind Akane, Nodoka winced.  Insulting one's fiancé was not terribly manly, even if Akane did tend to overreact.

Far above them Ranma was smiling broadly.  He'd done it again and managed it without doing any damage to the house!

Wednesday:

"Where have you been!?" Akane demanded.

"I was over at Ucchan's.  At least she doesn't try to kill me!" Ranma returned.

"You pervert!  How dare you go off with that floozy and leave your real fiancé alone!"

"My real fiancé?" Ranma asked mockingly.  "Does that mean you _want_ to get married now?" he said jeeringly.

"YOU PERVERTED CREEP!" Akane yelled, right before she knocked him into the sky with an almighty swing of her mallet.

As he soared over the city Ranma looked over his shoulder with a frown.  Everything was going perfectly, but he didn't want to upset Akane _too_ much.  He should probably do something to thank her later.

Thursday:

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!?" Akane screeched as she came upon the sight of Ranma happily chowing down on a takeout meal from the Nekohanten in the middle of the schoolyard, Shampoo looking on in delight.

"Having lunch, what does it look like you stupid tomboy?" he asked.

"Violent girl no yell at Shampoo husband," Shampoo added.  Akane stormed up to them as various other students looked on with passing interest.

"_YOU IDIOT!!!_" Akane bellowed as she sent Ranma flying high into the sky with her trusty mallet.

_Okay_, Ranma decided, Akane's screams echoing behind him as he gained altitude, _that should probably be enough_.

Friday:

"RANMA!  PREPARE TO DIE!" Ryouga yelled as he tore across the empty lot toward the pigtailed martial artist.  Ranma smiled.

"Bring it on, P-chan," he replied.

Just a few minutes later Ryouga was lying unconscious at the bottom of a crater several feet deep and Ranma was casually dusting off his hands as he walked away.

_It worked perfectly! _he thought exultantly.  _I gotta thank Akane!  Now, what did mom say about flowers and chocolates?_

Saturday:

"Um . . . mind if I come in Akane?"

"If you have to, you jerk," Akane sniffed.  Ranma had been horrible to her all week.  Who knew what horrible thing he was going to do now?

"Listen," Ranma said uncomfortably after he'd stepped into her room, rubbing the back of his head nervously, "I know I've been kind of a jerk lately . . ." Akane shot him a look that could have stripped paint off the walls of the house, but he continued on, "and I just wanted to say I'm really sorry.  Here, these are for you."  Akane gasped as Ranma pulled a bouquet of red roses from behind his back and handed them to her.  "I hope you like them."

"Ranma, they're beautiful," Akane murmured as she took the flowers.

"Ah . . . good.  Um, would you like to go out to lunch?" he asked.  "My treat."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah."

"Is this like, a date or something?" Akane asked in disbelief.

"Um . . . kinda," Ranma replied, squirming at her unreadable expression.  Then Akane's face lit up in a smile and he couldn't help but smile back.

"I'd love to," she told him warmly.  Ranma grinned.

_Just my way of saying thanks_, he thought as Akane shyly put her hand in his._  After all, you've been a big help with my endurance training._


End file.
